At the University of Washington, there isn’t an “ideal candidate.” With over 50,000 employees working in over a thousand different job types, we offer a universe of opportunities. We’re connected by a common mission and made even stronger by a diversity of experiences and values.
There’s a job for you at the UW
The UW has a long history of educating veterans, active-duty military and military dependent students; we also hire them. In recognition of their service in the U.S. Armed Forces, veterans receive some degree of preference in appointments to state jobs under Washington state law.
At the UW, we pride ourselves on our commitment to social responsibility and community engagement; in this way, the UW aligns with the values and sense of purpose that many veterans hold. Here you’ll find a welcoming and supportive environment that values teamwork and a diverse and inclusive campus culture that fosters collaboration and social connection.
When you join the UW, you become part of a community that actively supports our student and staff veterans, active-duty military and military-dependent students. Across our campuses and medical centers, you will find UW staff who have served in every branch of the military. They now work in a wide range of fields, utilizing their past expertise while continuing to build their careers.
Veterans’ preference
When referring applicants to departmental hiring managers, UW Human Resources forwards all qualified, eligible veterans. UWHR also forwards surviving spouses/registered domestic partners of eligible veterans and spouses/registered domestic partners of honorably discharged veterans who have a service-connected permanent and total disability.
Departments give qualified veteran candidates strong consideration. Prior to making an offer, in the event there are two or more equally qualified candidates and one is a veteran, then veterans’ preference will act as a tiebreaker.
Veterans in-state service shared leave pool
The Veterans’ In-State Service Shared Leave Pool allows UW employees access to a shared leave pool specifically for those state employees who are a veteran or spouse of a veteran to attend medical appointments or treatments for a service-connected injury or disability.
Serving her community: Val Schweigert
When Val Schweigert meets with a student in a one-to-one advising session, they seldom lead with their status as a veteran of the U.S. Army Reserve. Proudly genderqueer and fiercely progressive, Val does not initially present as someone with a military background. But for the interim director and associate director of the UW Q Center, those two years in the Army Reserve cemented in them a commitment to and pride in providing service to her community.
Tapping veteran’s potential: Thomas Kuljam
When a veteran leaves a branch of the armed forces, it is often seen as a time to get on with the business of living which isn’t always easy. That’s where Thomas Kuljam comes in. As director of UW Tacoma’s Veterans Incubator for Better Entrepreneurship (VIBE), Kuljam helps veterans in the Puget Sound region realize the potential of the skills they learned in the military to make the business of civilian life just that: business.
At the UW, we strive to create a workforce that’s as diverse as our wider community and reflects the students and patients we serve. Learn more about our efforts to build inclusive work cultures and increase access to career development that supports BIPOC staff.
Here you will find a community of colleagues deeply committed to addressing institutional bias and systemic racism and to creating and sustaining an equitable and inclusive workplace. Across our campuses and medical centers, you will experience ongoing discussions, learning and development opportunities, and projects and programs that focus on making the UW a place where all feel like they can belong and thrive.
Structures and supports matter, and our campuses and medical centers have made meaningful investments to rectify systemic problems, remove barriers and foster a more inclusive and equitable environment for students, patients, staff and academic personnel from diverse backgrounds.
Our diversity website showcases campus efforts, while UW Medicine Healthcare Equity focuses on the goals and progress at our medical centers.
Creating connections: LeAnne Wiles
For LeAnne Wiles, Student Academic Services Executive Director for First Year Programs & Strategic Initiatives in Undergraduate Academic Affairs, serving her community has, from a young age, been a conscious choice that informs her thinking and practice. And it has brought her together with people she might not have otherwise met—to the great benefit of the undergraduate students she now serves.
Creating connections: Yasmin Ahmed
As a student activist majoring in Public Health, Yasmin organized with and collaborated with several groups: from climate change to sweatshop labor to prison decolonization and abolition, they called on UW leadership to adopt more sustainable and equitable business and investment practices across campus.
Nursing found him: Joseph De Veyra
You could say that Joseph de Veyra did not find nursing – nursing found him.
Arriving in the U.S. as a 21-year-old immigrant from the Philippines with just $100 in his pocket, Joseph took advantage of the first opportunity that presented itself: caregiving. This early position quickly morphed into a certified nursing assistant (CNA) role.
Advocating for health equity: Lee Davis
As the EDI Training Manager for healthcare equity – a newly created role that he stepped into this past fall – Lee oversees the development and delivery of anti-racist training courses for some 35,000 employees throughout the WWAMI (Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana and Idaho) region covered by UW Medicine.
Where pride is part of who we are. At the UW, you will find a supportive environment for staff of all sexual and gender orientations, identities and expressions.
At the UW, we’re dedicated to creating a thriving workplace built on the foundations of diversity, inclusion and equality. We strongly believe in fostering an environment where individuals of every sexual orientation, gender identity and gender expression can freely express their true selves.
Our campuses and medical centers have made significant investments to address systemic issues, dismantle barriers and foster an environment where our community of LGBTQ+ students, patients, staff and academic personnel can thrive. The UW has provided protections from discrimination and harassment for individuals based on their sexual orientation since long before such rights were recognized by federal or state law.
The Q Center
The Q Center facilitates and enhances a brave, affirming, liberatory and celebratory environment for students, faculty, staff and alumni of all sexual and gender orientations, identities and expressions. The center aims to bring together programs, research and advocacy to make a meaningful difference.
Transgender resources
Transgender, cisgender and nonbinary — all employees of all gender identities and expressions — have the right to be who they are and express their gender identity openly. UW Human Resources provides resources to guide departments and individuals.
Gender-neutral bathrooms
At the UW, individuals may use the restroom of the gender they identify with. Gender-neutral restrooms are available for anyone to use and provide greater privacy for those who prefer it.
Leading for equitable change: Lauren Lichty
Lauren’s interest in power-conscious, trauma-informed and culturally-responsive violence prevention and response crystallized during their time as a graduate student at Michigan State University, where they trained in methodology and community response to gender-based violence in the ecological-community psychology program.
Advocating for acceptance: Sean Johnson
Sean Johnson moved to Seattle in 2010 with two goals in mind: he wanted to go to medical school at the UW School of Medicine, and he wanted to publicly come out as transgender and begin transitioning.
He didn’t get into the UW School of Medicine.
But he did pursue—and excel in—Master’s degree programs in both public health and social work at UW, which led to a prominent UW Medicine position comprising health policy, data science, social work and equity and inclusion efforts—all of which are right in Sean’s wheelhouse.
We welcome you as part of a diverse, multi-abled community. At the UW, you will find a culture and resources that are continuing to evolve to meet and support changing needs.
From workplace accommodations to assistive technologies, the UW is proud to be a leader in creating accessible learning and working environments. Here you will find a community eager to discover ways in which every employee can thrive and opportunities to connect and learn.
The Disability Services Office (DSO) is staffed with specialists that can help you access the different technological tools, services, and equipment available to help you do your best while working or teaching at the UW. To request disability accommodation in the application process, contact DSO at 206-543-6450 (voice), 206-543-6452 (TTY) or dso@uw.edu (email). The UW makes every effort to honor all disability accommodation requests. Requests can be responded to most effectively if received as far in advance as possible.
Read stories from the community
Centering disability: Christine Lew
Christine Lew is mad, and she wants to tell people about it.
It’s not so much that she’s angry, although she feels that kind of mad, too, when she encounters overt ableism or systemic barriers to disabled people.
No, Christine’s kind of mad is crazy-mad, insane-mad, mental-illness mad. She has long-term depression and panic-attack-inducing anxiety, and she is reclaiming the historically pejorative use of ‘mad’ to describe her identity within a disability framework.
Fostering inclusivity through accessibility: Ian Cambell
Like many higher education professionals in disability services, Ian Campbell was driven to the vocation because of his personal experience with disability.
Ian struggled with academics for years before finally being diagnosed in high school with learning disabilities. He characterizes the struggles before his diagnosis as “aptitude without performance”—the frustrating inability to fully demonstrate his intellectual capacity.
Moving as medicine: Bryan Hill
Diagnosed with early onset Parkinson’s disease (EOPD or PD) at 31, just weeks before getting married, Bryan thwarted the initial feelings of despair and denial with movement. A lot of movement! Already an athletic guy, Bryan began using high intensity interval training to alleviate some of his symptoms and potentially slow the progression of the disease.
Championing accessibility: Hadi Rangin
Hadi Rangin went blind three decades ago, but to this day maintains he’s still a visual learner.
It might be that commitment to honoring his own learning style that serves him so well as information technology accessibility specialist at the University of Washington’s Accessible Technology Services (ATS) and Accessibility Technology Center (ATC), where he’s worked since 2014 ensuring the UW’s software and technology is accessible for all who seek to use it.
Welcome back! If you’re a former UW employee looking to return, we’re excited for you to bring your new skills and experiences back to our campuses, medical centers and research labs. You may also qualify for prior service credit—reinstating your prior sick time off balance or increasing your vacation accrual rate and PERS service years.
Returning to UW staff employment after time away? We can’t wait to welcome you back! If you have been gone for some time, make sure to check out all of UW employee benefits under “What we offer”. As a returning employee:
- You may be eligible for reinstatement of months of service which count toward a higher vacation accrual rate. If you have more than 48 months of previous service, there’s no waiting period while your accrual rate is adjusted.
- Your sick time off balance will be restored if your break in service was less than five years.
- Your retirement service credit picks off where you left off, whether you previously participated in the PERS 2 plan or PERS 3 plan. And coming back to UW may allow you to meet requirements to vest in your plan if you previously fell short.
- Onboarding and adjusting to the UW will be smoother and quicker, and you’ll have the same UW NetID!
Huskies — get your career off to a great start. We offer congratulations on graduating from such an esteemed institution and would also like to share the news that you don’t have to leave the UW. As a student, you had the opportunity to engage with UW staff from a variety of different areas; now consider what a career with your alma mater might be like.
Are you a recent graduate of the UW, eager to take the next step in your career journey? Look no further than the very institution that helped shape you into the professional you are today.
As a UW graduate, you already know firsthand the value of a world-class education and the importance of staying connected to a community that supports your growth and development. With our diverse array of career opportunities across our campuses and medical centers, you can take your skills and passions to new heights while continuing to be part of the UW community.
Our commitment to helping you connect, belong and grow is at the core of everything we do. We offer ample opportunities for career advancement, ongoing professional development and a supportive workplace culture that empowers you to achieve your goals. Whether you’re interested in healthcare, education, research or a variety of other fields, the UW has a place for you.
If you’re returning to work after a break, don’t worry about any gaps in your career. From caregiving responsibilities to entrepreneurship, creative endeavors, travel or just taking a break from the work world, there are many reasons job-seekers may pause their careers. We recognize that fact, and we value experience gained from all types of work.
There’s no need to hide any career gaps when applying for positions at the UW. The university supports employees as whole people and recognizes that anyone may need to pause their work or career for personal reasons. We also know that employees often re-enter the workforce with renewed passion, focus and skills and can bring unique perspectives after having time away.
If you have a career gap, these tips will help you share your career journey:
Address career gaps directly
Recruiters and hiring managers will notice if there are gaps between the jobs listed on your resume. Listing dates when you were unemployed lets them know the gap is not an error and that you are prepared to address any questions they may have. You do not need to include personal details about employment gaps and can write “unemployed” or simply state what you were doing (e.g., traveling, going back to school, volunteering).
Identify skills you developed while outside of the paid workforce
Making time to reframe your experiences during a career gap will help you feel more confident and prepare you to draw connections between a job opportunity and your skillset. To get started, look at position requirements for the job that interests you. Next, write down examples of roles or activities you did while unemployed that demonstrate you have strengths or experiences the job requires.
List family care and volunteer roles on your resume
Consider including unpaid and self-managed roles you held during your career gap that demonstrate or developed transferable work-related skills. For instance, consider including skills developed through family care responsibilities; organizing a household or coordinating family members’ essential needs hones leadership and management skills. Those skills may include problem-solving, time management, working under pressure, adaptability, budgeting, emotional intelligence and many others.
Don’t focus too much on your career gap
Applicants with periods of unemployment are often so concerned about justifying or explaining their career gaps that they undersell their strengths and accomplishments. Yes, you should address your gaps upfront. However, don’t sell yourself short. State what you were doing, then move on to explaining why you are a great fit.